Oxford University philosopher Nick Bostrom offers a cautionary take on artificial intelligence in his new book, Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. In it, he imagines what could happen if computers were to ever become smarter than humans. He tells Steve Paulson that it could have catastrophic effects, unless we start thinking about it now.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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We found a modern-day huckster. His name is Rev. Ivan Stang and he’s the co-founder of a cult called The Church of the SubGenius.
Peter French tells Anne Strainchamps the ancient Greeks thought revenge was a good thing, and analyzes the vengeance scenario of Clint Eastwood’s film “Unforgiven.”
In Laura Poitras's film "My Country, My Country" she shoots in cinema verite style and based her film on the actions of an Iranian physician and his family around the recent Iranian election.
Nicholson Baker's latest novel is called "The Anthologist." Baker tells Anne Strainchamps the book's about a writer who longs to be a poet.
As Planned Parenthood looks ahead to its centennial in October 2016, Ellen Feldman's "Terrible Virtue" gives us a captivating portrait of the organization's resolute founder, Margaret Sanger.
Would you prefer to die in your sleep? Turns out, more people who weighed in on our three deaths question chose that option. Many of the people who shared their choices also took the time to write about why they were making their choice. You can read a selection of their responses here, and get some analysis of who wrote and - perhaps - why.
Lewis Hyde invokes the cultural commons – that vast store of art and ideas from the past that enrich everybody's present.
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